Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-12-11
WILD FOWL SHOOTING.
How TO shoot the swift Duck ant
Elusive wild Goose.

To one who has once enjoyed the
pleasure OF wild fowl shooting it Gre
ates fascination that will cling to
him forever. 1t is the rarest OF sport,
and may be indulged in within easy
distance of this city.
Successful duck shooting requires
study aud great skill. A sportsman
who is thorough Oh quail and pigeons
may fail 10 bring ducks to bag. The
rate OF speed at which duck is flying
and the distance he is from you are
two points important in the game. 1t
does not require such an elaborate
outfit, however, for it is u well known
fact that the female duck has
u large amount Of curiosity, and
many bags have been made 10y
simply a good gun, dog and a
co. ncob. A shore blind is made by
planting row OF bushes ten feet FROM
the waters edge, behind which are
some big guns with large charges OF
shot and a good dog. You take your
position, and let the dog get half way
oet aeen the blind and the water +,
when you toss to him corncob,
wuich he retrieves, and just as he
gets to the front OF the blind another
Is tossed, and he is kept playing
around until he has attracted the at
tention of the ducks. rney become
interested, and gradually approached
the shore. Tueir curiosity brings
them within easy range. The hunt
ing party now maneuver to bring
them solidly in front of tnem, which
is done by nipulating the dog, and
playing him first up beyond the
blind, then down, and the ducks
swim up and down as the dog is
worked, when at signal the party
fire, seventy-ive ducks often being
bagged.
But there are disappointments, for
a duck is coy and deiusive and not
always a ready prey. He will often
come very close, dive, shake his
feathers, and you think he is as goUd
as in the game bag; but you no
sooner rise 10 take aim than up he
springs, fl .ps his wings, and, with a
auack of defiance, sail away.
A murderous and unsportsmanlike
method of duck hunting is night
shooting, when heavy nuzzl .'loader,
are mounted on kiffs that sit low in
the water. The hunter lies i'll the
bottom, and noiseles,ly drops down
on the ducks. When within the
range he startles the game, pulls the
string, his shooting-lron is discharged,
and dead ducks float all about INN.
Succe sful wild goose shooting re-
quires great skill ami patience. After
geese have struck the Nater they are
not SO easily brought within shooting
range. The least movement frightens
them, and the old gander, who is
their commanding officer, will sum
mon them away at the elig test ap'
pearance OF anything movable.
Wild geese captured in previous
years by woundlng them only, are
now used as decoys and the young
raised for them. The goose is palced
on the beach at the waters edge
while its mate is in a box placed 10
the rear OF the blind. With the cry
uf the sentinel duck in the thread
like line against the clouds, the goose
on the shore cranes its neck. The
goslings are now thrown into the air
and in their efforts to reach the cen
ter of the lake, there is great commo-
tion between the decoy goose Oh
shore and eander in the box. Their
cries bring their Young toward the
shore. The geese have been attracted,
they break into groups, set their
wings and down they come. The
gosIings swimming to the shore give
the wild flock confidence and they
come in with them. They soon begin
fishing the bottom for grass when
The goslings are called in by rattling
corn in dish and the game is at
your mercy. Nervous men have no
business With this sport, for such a
sight is sure to ruin their aim and
success New York Star.